William Hall

William Hall was convicted of the murder of his girlfriend 51-year-old Mary Ann Dixon and sentenced to death. He cut her throat at 34 Moorgate Street, Sunderland on 6 November 1919. William Hall had been a brass finisher but for the twelve months before the murder he had been working as a labourer. He had been a widower and about four years earlier began living with Mary Dixon, who was a widow. William Hall had been described as a very steady, hardworking man of temperate habits and he was known to have complained of Mary Dixon's drinking. It was also heard that on six or seven occasions Mary Dixon had run away from William Hall, taking clothes etc, and pawning them for drink. A few weeks before the murder, Mary Dixon left William Hall and went to work at a common lodging house, which it was heard William Hall resented and he wanted her back. On 5 November 1919 William Hall called for Mary Dixon at the lodging house and persuaded her to go back to his lodgings where they stayed the night. It seemed then, according to William Hall's statement, that in the early morning Mary Dixon had expressed her intention of returning to the lodging house, thereupon he cut her throat with a clasp knife and then slightly cut his own throat with a penknife. At his trial, the only defence was that the verdict might be reduced to manslaughter on the ground of provocation, but it was noted that there was obviously no provocation in the legal sense and it was heard that on the day before he had expressed his intention to a witness of cutting her throat if she would not return to live with him. When the jury passed their verdict they made no recommendation to mercy and William Hall didn't appeal. At his trial he was described as having been unrepentant. Before his sentence of death was passed William Hall said, 'I have only this to say. If there is nothing gained in what I did, I can stand under God and say there is nothing lost, for she was a dead wrong woman'. When he was sentenced he said, 'Thank you, by Lord', and then walked firmly from the dock. It was noted that whilst William Hall had been a man of good character, that Mary Dixon herself, had every right to leave him and lead her own life as she liked, and the police report concluded that they didn't see any ground for interference in his sentence. William Hall was executed at Durham on 23 March 1920. xxx1xxx Moorgate Street has since been demolished and redeveloped but ran along what is today Mariner Square. William Hall was a brass finisher who was sentenced to death at Durham Assizes for the murder of his common law wife. Fifty one year old Mary Ann Dixon was a widow and they both lived together in Sunderland. Sometime in September they had a bad argument and this resulted in her walking out on him. They were next seen together on the 6th November. They were seen drinking together perhaps trying to resolve their difficulties. This was apparently not successful as the next morning she was found with a cut throat. When questioned he soon confessed but said she had provoked him. Whether she had or not made little difference and he was hanged by John Ellis on March 23rd 1920 at Durham.